A CYTOLOGICAL STUDY OF NORMAL AND RADIATION-RESISTANT ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract
A series of cultures of Escherichia coli exhibiting resistance to gamma irradiation was studied cytologically. The length of the cells in the cultures increased as the resistance to irradiation increased. The most resistant cultures contained a high percentage of long filamentous cells 30–40 times longer than normal. A striking increase in the apparent number of nuclei per cell accompanied cellular elongation. These resistant cells also exhibited a peculiar "budding" phenomenon which only occurred in the more radiation-resistant cultures. Conjectures are offered on the relationship between these findings and a basis for resistance to irradiation.

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